Raven27

Thank God we don't have to fight for a vote-in spot this year, even though the move to only 8 made it a sweat again. 

Got to imagine Aidan Kincaide will be in the mix after being a semi finalist at a high weight for a freshman.

Is this better? 
- after each wrestler gets their allotment then the sale to general public happens at 10 AM on Wednesday.   These tickets are ALL SESSION only tickets. It’s crappy that all session tickets were being sold for the top row of the upper deck while the individual session seats were available in the lower bowl.  
- any seats not sold during this time then go to a Friday session and a Saturday session ticket. Each would be good for the whole day.  These go on sale on Wednesday night at 8 PM
- you can still do walk up sales but it’s just what is left for that day. 
- the purpose is the ALL SESSION tickets should have priority seating.  

Nothing is official until the injury info deadline and state finals pass since a few teams are right behind you. But it's almost certain.

Just measures for crowdedness or how hard it is to get to semi-state in the first place. Can't determine how deep a regional is based on how many kids they qualify for state, especially not when one program is very good (Cathedral took 7 by themselves). That being said, this year, I don't see much of a discernable difference between the two regionals. They probably belong on the same line, but due to the math of it all, NM must have been closer to 4 and Pendleton closer to 3.

Butttttt lets run this again on Sunday and see what Richmond regional percentage of people making to the podium vs other regionals. 

I think it’s important now that the season is nearing its zenith to address one of the most important issues that I think goes under talked around this time, which is the hard working kids who lose at semi state. Obviously, we should celebrate those who make it to state. That is the goal of almost every high school wrestler, to be among the best in the state and compete in the best venue in all of Indiana. But inevitably, most wrestlers Sunday will not end up advancing to the state tournament. And I think it’s important that we address how to support the kids that lose, especially the seniors who will possibly wrestle their very last matches on Saturday.
 
Last year as a senior, I went into my season with high expectations. For three years straight, I went to everything. My high school coaches could tell you I was person who missed the least practices. I showed up to everything; morning practice, optional practice, summer open mats, I even went to RWA three days a week and trained at my coaches own gym in order to build up my strength and conditioning.  I felt like I was one of the hardest working, toughest people in the state. In middle school at my first off-season tournament I suffered a concussion. My freshman year I broke my left elbow and had to get screws out in, which I still have to this day. Junior year I dislocated my rib wrestling freestyle, and over the summer I suffered severe second degree burns which caused most of the epidermis on my back to slough off. But still, I worked through it all because I felt like if I didn’t I wasn’t being the best wrestler I could. Going into regionals of senior year I broke the scaphoid bone in my wrist, and couldn’t press down or grip my right hand for the rest of season. I felt like all of this only contributed to me being a tougher wrestler on the mat. And even with all of that, I got completely out wrestled at semi state. My broken wrist meant nothing, I did not live up to my potential and didn’t wrestle my best, and that’s why I lost. For at least a month after semi state I was completely in the dumps. It’s like I had a rain cloud overhead, I felt like my career meant nothing. It was over, and I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to. No matter what people said to me, it really didn’t ease the fact that I felt completely empty. I also felt angry. I felt so angry that I had teammates who put in way less practice time than me, who didn’t show up to half the things I did, and yet still advanced farther than I did. I wasn’t angry at them, though, I was angry at myself. I was angry because I felt like that there was something that I must have missed, some piece of the puzzle that despite all my hours I just couldn’t get. And that made me really hate myself for a few weeks. Our sport is so much more draining mentally than it is physically, and for those seniors who lose at semi state, it can really knock your happiness down a few notches for a quite a while. So coaches and parents, if you have a wrestler whose career comes to an end this Saturday, it’s important to not look at their whole career under a microscope and appreciate the whole journey. You got to participate in the toughest sport in the world, you were able to make it to semi state, which while not a particularly impressive accomplishment, still means that likely hundreds of hours of hard work went into that qualification. It’s okay to feel upset, but don’t let it hang over your life. You worked hard, and you did something that most wrestlers in the state didn’t. And to those who have more years, never stop grinding. Embrace it, and make sure to have fun with it. When the sport is fun, you do better. You can make it to state, but you can’t take your foot off the gas.
 
I love wrestling, so so much. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and something I plan on continuing even though I’m not on a college team. I’m so grateful to the sport and my coaches for making me the man I am today, and for teaching me such invaluable life lessons. And I think loving the sport is really what’s so important. If you were able to make an athlete fall in love with the sport, with the process, then you succeeded as a coach. If you support your kids and help them foster that love, then you succeeded as a wrestling parent. The lessons athletes learn from wrestling are some of the best life lessons you can learn, and when you are able to fall in love with the sport, these values are only engrained deeper. So to those seniors out there, wrestle your hearts out. Don’t be afraid to lose, don’t be afraid to score points. Leave it all on the mat and put your name in the history books. And to those seniors who worked so hard and end up coming up short, it will suck. But you’ll live. You’ll be okay. And I think that, even if you lose at semi state, if you managed to fall in love with the sport, then it was all worth it in the end. We are all apart of something amazing, and wrestling is absolutely the greatest sport ever. Fall in love with it, and wrestle your hearts out. 
 

2023 933 kids in qualifiers (I believe this may have included the kids that were Tulsa kids that were allowed in last year)
 
2024 903 kids in first week of qualifiers (4 more qualifiers to go)
 
I think that there may be less kids in the qualifiers this week due to MS State Duals and Kid's Folkstyle Nationals.  However, even if they have 150 kids per qualifier, that would put the number at around 1500 kids.  That would be a 60% increase participation from last year?  I will give you a little less than that for the kids that may try to qualify again this week.  But the increase can't be denied.
 
What is Indiana's weakest link for wrestling?  Is it youth?  No way, we have all kinds of training and events for these kids.  Is it HS?  No way.  We have 3 teams this year represented among the top of the nation.  It's middle school.  The red headed step child.  Middle School is where many start their career.  So they end up way behind our wrestlers who have grown up on the mat.  Then you have the all of the different weights, different starts/ends to the season throughout the state.  MS is just weird.
 
Now you have more of these middle school wrestlers getting USAW cards and competing against better competition.  We all saw kids that have never been and wouldn't think about competing at MS state.  Now they may have set a goal for themselves to get more training or train after the MS season ends.  They might just want to get more involved in going to USAW tournaments since they have a card now.
 
Let's continue to watch how this plays out.

Jay County Regional has always been tough, but it used to more top heavy and not very deep, with Yorktown and Belmont leading the way. 
 
It's gotten incredibly deep recently. 120 has 5 wrestlers who have been ranked in the state at some point this year. 144 has 3 currently ranked wrestlers and a fourth that has been ranked most of the year. 165 has 3 ranked wrestlers. 
 
 
It's interesting that this depth has started happening after the introduction of classed team state. 
 
The Jay County Regional is basically 1A and 2A schools. 
 
In my opinion, a lot of these schools have improved because of the chance that they could win 1A or 2A team state titles!

Noblesville 12

Alexandria school record 9 (2 Freshman, 4 Sophomores, 3 Juniors)

Alexandria school record 9 (2 Freshman, 4 Sophomores, 3 Juniors)

Alexandria school record 9 (2 Freshman, 4 Sophomores, 3 Juniors)

Alexandria school record 9 (2 Freshman, 4 Sophomores, 3 Juniors)

"I was under last night and didn't eat or drink anything." 

I had a wrestler get me a shirt for Christmas a few years back that said "if at first you don't succeed try doing what your wrestling coach told you to do the first time." 

Fatigue makes cowards of us all

“Be the bad draw”

Kids same. Parents different. Our fault as parents. 

For a school with less than 250 kids, the Cowan Blackhawks sure have burst onto the scene of 1A wrestling. They've done it with the help of a couple of Rebels.    https://wzbd.com/index.php/2023/11/16/hard-work-love-of-sport-crucial-in-cowans-reputation-as-model-small-school-program/

23 Maddie Marsh Middletown Ind. Pendleton Heights Middle School 26 at 138
 
Probably need to know how to spell this Freshman from Pendleton's name too.  She is ranked 23rd in the nation at 135 per Flo.
 
I believe she is the only Indiana girl on the list at that weight class.

Alexandria Monroe is at 13 currently and hoping to be at 14 by weeks end!  Super excited for TEAM #One

Alexandria Monroe is at 13 currently and hoping to be at 14 by weeks end!  Super excited for TEAM #One

Alexandria Monroe is at 13 currently and hoping to be at 14 by weeks end!  Super excited for TEAM #One

Sharing an update on him.  Thoughts and Prayers for a speedy recovery.
 
We wanted to let everyone know that Parker is now home resting from surgery.  Thank you for all of the prayers and well wishes from those of you that were aware of his situation.  I intentionally have not posted about this, as this has been a very emotional situation for all of us.
 
For our friends and family who were not aware, for the past 8 months Parker has been battling a debilitating condition with his hands that has affected his ability to perform daily tasks, including his passion to wrestle.  Parker’s hands would turn purple and go numb during activity, and would become extremely painful.  He loses all grip strength and the ability to squeeze his hands.  We were so lucky that after 4 months of numerous tests with cardiologists, rheumatologists, and hand surgeons, Parker was finally able to get a clear diagnosis from one of the top Vascular Surgeons in the country for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  Parker was confirmed to have both bi-lateral Venous and Neurogenic TOS.
 
Neurogenic TOS is caused by compression of the brachial plexus nerve roots (C5 to T1) within the scalene triangle, the space above the collarbone where the two scalene muscles come down from the neck and attach to the first rib.  This was causing the pain and numbness.  Venous TOS is caused by subclavian vein compression between the clavicle and first rib.  This was causing discoloration and swelling.  We guess Parker hit the jackpot, not only having both types, but also being bilateral.  Although this is an extremely rare condition, it is somewhat common among MLB pitchers, competitive swimmers, and gymnasts.
 
Yesterday morning Parker underwent successful surgery on the right side of his body first.  They made an incision above the clavicle to completely remove his first rib and the two scalene muscles that were attached to it.  Through a small second & third incisions below the collarbone, they also released the tendon of the pectoralis minor muscle and opened the space all the way through the thoracic outlet for the brachial plexus nerves.  We are happy to say that Parker has just been released to come home.  Within minutes of waking up, he couldn’t believe how “normal” he said his right hand felt.   We will not know how greatly affected the left side is and or damaged for approximately 6-8 weeks.  At that time, a decision will be made by the surgeons to potentially go in and repeat the exact same surgery.  Luckily for Parker he did not have any damage to his subclavian veins and no evidence of a blood clot.
 
The rehabilitation is a difficult one, and Parker is looking at the possibility of having to do it twice.  But if there is anyone out there who can do it, we all know that it is Parker.  In true Parker fashion, he asked to keep his “rib” so that he can make a chain out of it : )  We do not know what the near future holds competitively for our son, but we do know that with Gods strength and Parker’s determination, he will come back from this better than ever.
Thank you for everyone’s prayers. 
 
Below 👇 Parker wanted to share with everyone his rib.